Explore PwC

Faculty newsletter - May 2017

Dear Educator,

As the school comes to a close, we wish you a fun and relaxing summer!

In this edition, we are pleased to share some recent recognitions by DiversityInc and Fatherly. We also share our Forensic Guide, as well as resources such as our DSA White Paper, Access Your Potential, US Tax Reform, Artificial Intelligence and more. Finally, we encourage you to attend our Tax Function of the Future Webcast on June 8th at 12:00pm EST.

Forensic Guide

Our Forensics practice is offering copies of our PwC publication, A Guide to Forensic Accounting Investigation, at no cost to be made available to Forensics professors and their students as well. PwC partner, Mona Clayton, is one of the co-authors and would be happy to speak with professors who may have questions or comments. She prefers the first edition for teaching and is currently teaching a Financial Fraud course at FIU in the MAcc program. Interested professors should email us at pwc.university.relations@us.pwc.com to indicate the number of copies they desire and the appropriate shipping address to use.

#4 on DiversityInc’s Top 50

DiversityInc has recognized PwC as the #4 company for diversity! Now in its 17th year, the “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” survey is the leading assessment of diversity management in corporate America and globally. PwC has consistently placed within the top 5 since 2011, and this is the firm’s 11th year in the top 10. To see the list, click here.

PwC Ranked a Top Place to Work for New Dads

PwC is one of Fatherly HQ’s 50 best places to work for new dads! The “50 Best Places to Work for New Dads” is Fatherly‘s annual list of the large companies, businesses with 1000 employees or more, providing the best benefits and programs for working fathers. To find and rank these companies, Fatherly’s researchers focused on six specific policy areas that, viewed in aggregate, expose the degree to which each company has prioritized providing aid to new fathers: paid leave, flexible time policies, child care benefits and offerings, dependent care, employee assistance programs, and parental support programs. To learn more, click here.

Improve Technology & Financial Capability of More Than 10 Million Students

Last month, PwC announced the launch of Access Your Potential™, a five-year, $320 million commitment that will focus on providing tools, training and mentoring to students, educators and guidance counselors across the U.S. with the goal of closing the opportunity, education and skills gaps. This initiative is one of the firm’s most significant investments made to-date, dedicated to closing these gaps.

Through Access Your Potential™, PwC aims to help more than 10 million students in underserved communities gain access to financial capability and technology skills curricula as well as equip 100,000 teachers and guidance counselors with tools to prepare and guide students in making sound financial choices and understanding tech-based careers. The commitment will also leverage the financial acumen and technology skillsets of PwC’s 46,000 Partners and staff, as well as build upon the firm’s network of educators and nonprofit collaborators. To learn more, click here.

Investing in America’s data science and analytics talent

Our Access Your Potential™ announcement coincided with the release of a startling study PwC did in conjunction with the Business-Higher Education Forum showing a concerning gap between the expectations of educators and the expectations of business executives when it comes to getting students ready for the job market. The study has significant implications for workforce preparedness and the U.S. economy. By 2021, 69 percent of U.S. executives say they’ll prefer to choose job candidates with data science and analytics skills, yet only 23 percent of educators believe their graduates will possess those skills. In fact, according to PwC’s annual CEO survey, 79 percent of U.S. CEOs are concerned that a shortage of key skills could impair their companies’ growth. To read the full study, click here.

PwC Coursera: All Courses Now Available

All four courses in the PwC Specialization on Coursera are now available. If you have completed all four courses, you can also now enroll in the capstone course. As instructors, you may find the materials useful for personal development. You could also potentially identify portions of the courses which you could incorporate into your classes to help demonstrate concepts you are teaching. All course materials can be accessed at no charge when enrolling in the individual courses and selecting audit only. (Those enrolling in the specialization to include the capstone will pay a small fee and will receive a certificate of completion). We hope you will agree this is a valuable resource. To access the press release about this collaboration, click here. To enroll in these courses today, click here.

Tax Function of the Future

Tax Professional of the Future Webcast | June 8th | 12:00pm to 1:00pm | Register here

We invite you to join our specialists during our upcoming webcast where we will discuss:

What skills are required for the Tax professional of the future to navigate an increasingly complex business and tax environment;

What the role of academia will be in preparing tax professionals; and,

US Tax Reform

Unified control of the White House and Congress provides Republicans the opportunity to set the legislative agenda, advance key priorities, and revisit the regulations promulgated by the outgoing Administration. The likely legislative and regulatory activity presents both opportunities and challenges for the business community. To learn more, click here. Click here to sign up for the latest developments.

Securities Litigation Study

With 276 class actions filed, 2016 was the fourth consecutive year in which securities litigation increased; and it was the single greatest year-over-year increase in more than a decade.

Dramatic increase in volume of newly filed federal M&A class actions.

163% year over year increase in cases alleging improper or illegal activities.

How Artificial Intelligence is Pushing Man and Machine Closer

With more than $5 billion in 605 deals of VC investment over last 2 years, artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to have a transformative effect on consumer, enterprise, and government markets around the world. While there are certainly obstacles to overcome, consumers believe that AI has the potential to assist in medical breakthroughs, democratize costly services, elevate poor customer service, and even free up an overburdened workforce. We dug deeper into those perceptions through an online survey of consumers and business decision makers, and an expert salon with thought leaders in the field. This original research unpacks key ways AI may impact our world, delving into its implications for society, service, and management. Read more here.